BleepingComputer.com: Floppy Disk(s) Failed (40)

I've search the forum but I can't find any useful solutions.

Just before last Christmas I was having problems formatting floppy disks so I through it away and inserted a new one, same problem. I thought the drive was beginning to fail again so I bought a new drive. Now all my 300 original floppy disks can still be read on the old drive so I didn't bother to put the new drive in until it gave up.

Yesterday I tried to format a floppy and it just kept clicking and nothing happened. Ok it time to change the drive. I inserted the drive and started up then we get the Floppy Disk(s) Failed (40) error on startup. Now I last changed the drive 6 years ago without a problem, just insert it and start up.

I have another spare floppy drive out of an old computer so I thought I would try that one just in case the new one is faulty. As I unplugged the new one the cable clip came apart. I thought the only other option is use the B floppy plug and set the BIOS to B floppy and drive seek to find either drive. Did a restart and the same error appears.

I know you are all saying why bother with floppy drives as they are dated. True they are dated but I programme in Visual Basic and the projects are quite small so a floppy is the ideal medium to use. I also have a flash drive with them all on and I've burnt them to a CD as a backup.

Any suggestions on how to get my floppy drive to be accepted?

I would appreciate any advice, thanks.

Is the light on your floppy drive on constantly?

dpunisher, on Jan 11 2009, 05:50 PM, said:

Thanks for your suggestion but no its not on constantly. If it was then the connector is the wrong way around, I do know that much.

I forgot to say I ordered a new 5 connector floppy cable (eBay) the same day it broke, so its going to be a couple of days before that arrives.

I assume the drive lights at power on to indicate it's powered OK? Does the drive appear as the correct type in the BIOS? Some older BIOSes default to 5.25" drive and have to be manually set to 1.44M 3.5"

If you still get the same error with correct settings, a new FDD data cable and a working drive, then looks like the FDD controller has failed (I've had that happen).

Keithuk, on Jan 11 2009, 03:38 PM, said:

Sorry, had to ask.

Platypus, on Jan 11 2009, 10:52 PM, said:

This is a point I'm not too sure about the light flashing. When I plugged it in the first time I didn't see the light flash it went start to the error. I thought have I put the cable in the wrong way around because they will fit either way, poor design. I changed it round and the light was on all the time which tells me its connected wrong way around. As I've said when I tried my other backup the clip came of the cable and the plug was stuck inside the drive. I had to take the drive out again and get small screwdriver to flirt the end out.

The drive size is as its always been A: 1.44MB 3.5" in the BIOS.

Platypus, on Jan 11 2009, 10:52 PM, said:

Are FDD controllers worth getting as its a 10 year old computer. I know I need a new one but I haven't found the spec I'm after at the moment so I'm just keeping this going.

What I can't understand is I can't get the drive to show in the B: socket. I set A: to None and set B: to 1.44MB in the BIOS. I even selected floppy seek because I occasionally boot up with a floppy whan I format and do a rebuild. It still gives the Floppy Disk(s) Failed (40) error. I change the floppy seek back but it still shows the error.

A: is your floppy as we know it...B: is the old large floppy drive (which aren't normally used any more).

What reason...did you have in mind...when you changed the BIOS?

Louis

5.25" floppy drives were commonly seen configured as a B: drive, but either size is content to be either A: or B:.

If the controller has failed, then it would be normal to get the Floppy Disk(s) Failed (40) error for both A: and B: locations.

To be sure you're not being misled by two faulty floppy drives, are you able to check the spare drive in another computer?

My thought in asking if the access light gave a flash at power-up is that some PSUs have a FDD power connector that's easy to connect backwards & fry the drive.

Assuming the controller does prove to be faulty, if the system is old enough to have an ISA slot, you can probably get a used ISA multi-IO card for basically nothing, disable all except the FDD function, disable the onboard FDD controller in the BIOS (it appears the existing I/O is on the motherboard) & connect the FDD to the ISA card.

Another approach is to get a budget USB FDD (as made for legacy-free laptops), one that has Win98 driver provided. The one I use for my laptops was $29.95 at an office supplies chain store.

This post has been edited by Platypus: 12 January 2009 - 07:40 AM

hamluis, on Jan 12 2009, 12:41 AM, said:

Thanks for you input guys.

As I understand it A: is the first or default drive and B: is a secondary drive if you have one fitted. In the BIOS you can set the sizes of each type of drive you have installed. You can also set the floppy seek which as I understand it to be which floppy it reads on startup. You can set this to A:, B: or Both so it will read either drive om startup. I don't recall seeing 5.25".

The only thing I changed in the BIOS was the drive number. A: = None. B: = 1.44MB 3.5" because the A: strip connector broke of the floppy cable. The B: connector was ok so I decided to see if it would work on there but it still shows the same error (40).

well if you get the error when windowws 98 starts then why dont you see if it reads any thing in dos or it can boot a windows 98 start disk or some thing

I would try replacing the floppy cable first.
Remember that positioning on the cable matters with floppy drives.
The A drive needs to be above the twist in the cable and the B drive below.


Check the drive for the pin 1 setting. It typically is either numbered or marked with a small triangle.
If the cable is on baclwards the floppy drive light will go on and stay on.

Eyesee, on Jan 12 2009, 02:15 PM, said:

Yes I shall have to wait until my new cable comes. I tried to borrow an old cable out of a computer at work but that different again that motherboard to hard drive to floppy.

Platypus, on Jan 11 2009, 10:52 PM, said:

I've just done another check in the BIOS (Award PGA4.60)

There are
360K, 12M in 5.25"
720K, 1.44M, 2.88M in 3.5"

I hadn't noticed the 5.25" because they are the lot older drives.

The cable come today and I plugged it in with my old drive at first because I knew that one still worked in a fasion. It started up ok and I could read floppies from it in Windows. I shut down plugged the new drive in and started up and I get the same Floppy Disk(s) Failed (40) error so it must be a faulty drive. I've emailed the seller to see how we are going to get the drive changed, waiting for the reply.

Glad you got it resolved .

Louis